


A New Age, A New Future

by radiantgem



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Gen, and look- the kids have parents, can you tell this is self indulgent, post-kh3, somehow Terra and Aqua make it work, the Dandelions are adopted into the Wayfinder family, who knew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 06:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11007981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiantgem/pseuds/radiantgem
Summary: The Dandelions talk about their parents. One of them has no memory of them.





	A New Age, A New Future

Life in the Land of Departure was fairly simple in comparison to the time spent in the Realm of Sleep. There were no more unions, no approaching forces of darkness to eventually confront, the weight of making sure the Dandelions survived was no longer on Ephemer’s shoulders. The only thing to worry about here was making sure everyone got to their classes on time (Aqua’s especially), and to improve on their skills as Keyblade Wielders. Besides that, they could just be. . . kids.

On their free time, they were allowed to explore the World and all of its expanses. They could visit the town down below the castle, go mountain climbing, train, read ancient texts, or they could just hang around with their friends and chat. After seeing the broken bridge at the Summit, a few of the kids, including Ephemer, took it upon themselves to make it a sort of a game to find any other ruins of this world.

Ephemer was a bit hesitant at first to agree to reside under Master Terra and Master Aqua’s care, considering the number of Dandelions there were. Surprisingly enough, they handled the lot of them better than he thought they would. They couldn’t keep track of over twenty kids at once all the time, so there were spells in certain places to keep the Dandelions somewhat safe, if anything should happen. They were trusted to keep each other safe on trips to the town and any exploring they did anywhere else in the world. But for those who wanted to go climb mountains, the area was enchanted by a strong Zero Gravity so if anyone fell, they would be fine.

There were enough rooms in the castle to rest in, although a few did have to share with bunk beds, but that wasn’t really an issue. And if there ever _was_ an issue, between any of the Dandelions, all it took was the sound of Master Aqua’s footsteps for the issue to dispel. The air around her exuded a sort of authority nobody wanted to insult. She reminded him a Foreteller.

Master Aqua believed in communicating any matters people had, so the problem would still be inevitably dealt with. She would tell them her story, about her life in the Land of Departure, about how she ended up in the Realm of Darkness for over a decade, all so they could understand how it all could have been avoided, had all of them communicated better. She was kind, though her no nonsense attitude warranted everyone’s sense of urgency to get to her classes on time.

Master Terra was definitely more laidback out of the duo, much more tolerant of the shenanigans that would arise from a group of kids. Sometimes he’d even encourage it, much to Master Aqua’s chagrin. Despite this, some of the Dandelions, including Skuld, didn’t like the idea of being under the authority of someone who could wield the darkness. Ephemer couldn’t necessarily blame them, they were all taught that anything and anyone who was affiliated with darkness was bad. What _did_ ease some of the Dandelion’s concerns were the stories Ven told about how Master Terra treated him when he was first brought to the Land of Departure, and being taught about darkness by his successor, Master Riku. Though this didn’t change the group’s uneasiness regarding darkness itself, it did help against any animosity anybody had against him.

He must’ve known they were uncomfortable with the darkness, so he seldom used it in any of his classes. The only time he did use it was whenever his class entailed how to control it and how to properly defend against it. Other than that, he just gave everyone tips on how their form should be to avoid any openings, advice on all the different roles as a Keyblade Wielder can partake rather than solely being a fighter, and the like. If anyone was struggling with a concept, or anything in general, he would offer a helping hand. Needless to say, many of the kids warmed up to him.

One of the changes that took Ephemer a while to get accustomed to was Ventus. From his much more confident swagger, to the growth spurt he went through, putting him up to Ephemer’s height, it felt like he was meeting someone completely different. Most of his mannerisms remained the same, however, there was a an air of newfound maturity that lingered. Regardless, he was glad Ven turned out to be alive and well, and it kept the Dandelions a little bit more sane that they had someone from their past to stay and guide them in this New World. He showed them the best spots to watch meteor showers, to watch the sun rise and set, and to visit some ruins he already discovered. Ven was more than happy to show off the best this world, his home, had to offer. For that, he was grateful.

The group settled down to rest in the living room, having  just completed an advanced healing session that was led by Master Terra and Master Aqua. They had led the class together in order to give a greater variety of tips on how to master the art, as each of them had different ways of casting. The one point that they did share in common however, was the idea to think of something that made them warm inside when casting the spell. Something that they loved deeply, something that they would want to alleviate any pain from. That one tip alone caused the Dandelions to talk about something they haven’t spoken about since the “Age of Fairytales”,: their parents.

“My father was the one who raised me, he used to leave little notes around the house whenever he had to leave to work early,” said a girl with a bob.

“I lived with my grandparents, they always used to nag to me to put on a sweater, even if it wasn’t cold outside,” a boy with caramel locks swung his feet back and forth as he sat on the edge of the couch. He was wearing (you guessed it) a gray sweater.

“I lived with my mom and her best friend, so it was kinda like having two moms,” a girl with pink pigtails smiled, “they used to make the best pancakes.”

The mood was bittersweet, as the kids found happiness in talking about the ones who raised and cared for them, yet there was an unspoken acknowledgement that all of the kids refused to speak into existence. For now, this was enough.

Ephemer glanced around the room and saw Skuld leaning against the wall, her arms crossed but listening to the conversation in silence. He looked at her eyes to see if maybe the conversation was a sensitive topic, but all he saw was curiosity. No underlying sadness, no wistfulness, no evidence of even thinking about her own parents.

“What about you Skuld? What were your parents like?” Ephemer asked.

Skuld jumped a little at being brought into the conversation so suddenly, but looked at Ephemer and said in a matter of fact tone.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember them.”

Oh.

The room fell silent. The Dandelions stared, wide eyed between the two, waiting for something to be said.

“O-oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“What are you apologizing for?” Skuld tilted her head, “Me not remembering doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

Ephemer racked his brain to find the right words to say, when a girl with freckles asked, “Then who took care of you?”

Skuld laid her hand on her fist and squinted her eyes, as if searching for an answer that lay hidden in the depths of her memory. “I have no memory of that either.”

“Then what do you remember, kupo?” A kid in a moogle costume questioned.

“Becoming a Keyblade Wielder in Daybreak Town. Anything before that,” she shook her head, “I can’t remember.”

The room exploded into murmurs. Ephemer felt dread settle in his stomach, he didn’t mean for this to happen. He peaked a look at Skuld and saw her fake a smile.

“Anyway, regardless if I have any memories or not, I can still heal just fine, so there’s no point on preoccupying yourselves with it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go, so you can continue from before,” she said as she swiftly left the room.

Taking that as a red flag, Ephemer promptly excused himself from the room and followed suit. Despite following the sound of her receding footsteps, he had to run a bit just to catch up. When he did finally catch sight of her, she was in the hallway walking towards her bedroom door.

“Skuld, wait!”

She flinched at the sound of his voice, and turned around, looking apprehensive. “What is it now Ephemer?” She tried to come off as nonchalant. Emphasis on tried. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, “Don’t tell me you’re here to apologize again.”

“Actually, I’m not.”

Skuld arched an eyebrow.

“Ephemer broke out into a playful smile, “What I wanted to tell you was,” he tugged at his red scarf, “my mom made me this.”

Skuld blinked. “Huh?”

“And one time, I ate a whole sheet of paper thinking that my body would absorb the information and make me smarter,” he scratched his cheek sheepishly, “all it did was give me a stomachache.”

Skuld stared at him incredulously before her mouth twitched into a smile, her shoulders shaking. “You-you. . .” she started to slide down towards the floor, her arms hugging her stomach as she wheezed, “you fool!”

“Hey! Cut me some slack, I was only four years old,” he said in mock-offense, but he couldn’t keep himself along with her. Her wheezing was contagious.

Once she was able to breathe properly again, she wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood up straight. Her cheeks were flushed again, but she had an amused grin on her face. He could take solace from that.

“Why did you tell me that Ephemer?”

“To get even.”

“Huh?”

“Now we both know something about each other’s past.” Ephemer turned his eyes towards his feet, “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I know it made you upset.” He saw a pair of black boots come into view, “I’m-”

A cold hand cupped his cheek, propping him to look upwards to meet Skuld’s eyes.

“Oh hush and look at me you big palooka,” Skuld teased.

Ephemer felt his ears go warm.

She let go of him and placed her hand on her hip, “There’s nothing to apologize for. I already know you never had any bad intentions, so don’t fret about it. But,” a warm smile spread on her face, “thank you for sharing a little of your past with me. It was _actually_ pretty sweet of you.”

Ephemer chuckled, “I figured telling you a story about something stupid I did would cheer you up.”

Her eyes crinkled, “And that it did.”

“I do have one question though.”

“Hm?”

“About your past, about not remembering anything. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“What difference would it have made?”

Ephemer stared. “Huh?”

“What’s in the past is done, there’s nothing you can do about it now. So there’s no point in dwelling over things that can’t be changed. If anything, I’d rather focus on the now, and what _can_ be changed.”

Ephemer put a hand to his chin and let her words sink in. She wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it still bothered him that such a large chunk of her life was unknown to her.

“Well, that’s true, but the present and future is still affected by the past, right?”

Skuld nodded slowly, “Right. . .”

“So even if you can’t change anything about it, it’s still good to know.”

Skuld exhaled and closed her eyes, “You may be right but, it never really bothered me that I have no memory of my family, if I even had one. Besides, even if I did have one, they’d be long gone now.”

Ephemer stayed silent, taking note of the softness of his scarf. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, that was true for all of them.

“What does bother me however, is how everyone reacts to that information,” she slightly opened her eyes, choosing to stare at the ground, “they’re going to look and treat me differently.”

That brought him out of his silence. “How can you be so sure? I’m sure they’re just curious as to how you ended up without any memories.”

“And what does it matter if I don’t have any?” Skuld met his gaze. “If anything, it’s my problem.”

Ephemer furrowed his brow, “Skuld-”

“One of the brain’s most primal functions to protect itself from any harm is to repress the memories connected to whatever can be too much for the person to bear to remember,” her voice lowered to a whisper, “what if I’m not supposed to find out? What if it’s too much for me to bear?”

So that’s it.

He took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, “But you won’t have to bear it alone.”

Skuld took looked up at him.

“You have all of us to lean on. You can talk to me, heck, Ven might be better to talk to. He knows what it’s like to not remember any of his past. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, if you need anything, we’re here for you,” he slightly squeezed her shoulders and smiled warmly, “I’m here for you.”

Skuld tittered and let her eyes close. She placed her hands over the tips of his fingers, an embarrassed smile gracing her face, “You’re such a stubborn weed.”

“I _am_ a Dandelion aren’t I?”

“Quit it before I slug you.” She was still smiling.

“Are you sure you can reach?” Ephemer teased.

That made Skuld open her eyes as a challenging smirk took over her features, “Is that a challenge?”

“I’m joking! I’m joking!”

“Thought so,” she closed her eyes once again. “And thank you. For what you said.”

His voice took a gentle tone, “Anytime.”

They stood together for a little while, before Skuld eventually removed her hands from Ephemer’s fingers, leaving Ephemer to shove his hands into his pockets. She opened her eyes, but refused to look at his face, “I have to go and think some things over. You can go back  to the others, I’ll be in my room.”

“Mm,” Ephemer nodded. He watched her make her way to her bedroom door and remembered something. “Hey Skuld?”

Skuld opened the door, still not looking at him, “Yes?”

“One more question.”

Skuld chuckled lightly, “What, are you writing a book?”

“Last one, I promise!”

“Okay okay, what is it?”

“What do you think of when you cast a healing spell?”

“What do I think of?”

“Yeah, if it’s not your parents, what do you think of?”  
Skuld hummed in thought, her thumb tapping her chin. A playful smirk tugged at her lips. “I guess that’s something you’ll have to find out for yourself,” she teased as she promptly closed the door.


End file.
